


The Speech

by dirtylittlegreasemonkey



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, the soppy speech that made aaron cry :'), wedding speech
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 08:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10873089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirtylittlegreasemonkey/pseuds/dirtylittlegreasemonkey
Summary: The soppy speech Robert gave at his and Aaron's wedding reception that he promised would make Aaron cry like a baby.





	The Speech

He doesn’t have a fork to clink against a champagne glass, it only needs a quiet, drunken word in Charity’s ear and she’s behind the bar ringing the bell.

Aaron looks at him, eyes still a little red from earlier but they had kissed outside until they were cold and ready to face their public again. “Really?” he says, suitably and comically unimpressed.

“Really,” Robert says squeezing a final kiss out of him before he stands and listens to Adam bellowing _Speech! Speech!_ into his earhole. He was tempted to let Adam take the reins for a Best Man’s speech but he doesn’t know if he’s drunk enough to tolerate Adam’s moaning about Aaron’s poor taste in blokes and how Robert better treat his brother-from-another-mother right. Luckily Adam’s too drunk to offer much more than a slur.

He gives Aaron’s shoulder a brief squeeze and looks down at Aaron’s face, half hidden in his hand.

“Thank you,” Robert begins as the whooping calms down. “We haven’t exactly followed tradition today so you don’t need to worry that there is going to be two grooms speeches tonight – there won’t be. I want to start by saying that my husband and I…” – he has to pause there for the cheers, for the claps, for the way Aaron breaks his signature embarrassment to smile at him, eyes glistening already – “we want to thank you all for coming here in such short notice. It means a lot. Even if the pub is a state. But no, honestly, neither of us could have asked for a better day. Maybe less police next time though, eh?”

Chas’s quickly tamed scowl, directed at Faith even though she’s long gone, doesn’t go unnoticed by Robert, but he continues, seeing Charity throw her arm around her and top up her champagne. And it is champagne – he checked.

“I’ve been warned by Aaron to keep this as short and painless as possible, so I’m going to leave my soppy declarations until last just to make him sweat. First I want to thank Harriet for attempting to run the service – and I’m sure if she’d had the chance to finish it it would have been beautiful. Then there’s Marlon and my beautiful sister, Victoria for the great spread and the amazing cake. I think you’ve got Aaron’s likeness just right. Me on the other hand…”

Marlon tilts his head in appreciation and raises his pint and Vic places her hand on Adam’s knee, soft and cuddled up to him.

“To Charity and Chas for letting us take over the pub. We couldn’t think of anywhere better. Our home, surrounded by the people we love.”

“Yeah, and we can skip over the mother-in-law jokes, can’t we, yeah?” Chas calls out, prompting an all too eager agreement from Robert.

“To our families for being here…for your support and kindness,” Robert says. He can’t quite look at Paddy but can sense a shift, can see Chas’s head move slightly, in his direction. “Thanks to the Dingles for the…er…” – he gestures at the décor – “all this. And welcoming me into the family. I think.”

There’s a roar, a chanting of _Welly!_ that he thinks begins with Zak and Sam, but he isn’t quite sure. He refuses even the idea of any more ale with a shake of his head and a waving of his arms, but still, Aaron’s lights up at the memories so Robert puts a hand on his back.

“I want to thank Liv. I know she’s not here right now, but I’ll make sure I embarrass her with this in the morning when she’s got a raging hangover. I think you can all agree she did an amazing job with the organisation this morning, if only she could put as much effort into her schoolwork we’d be laughing.” The first remark of Robert’s to get a tut and a roll of the eyes from Aaron. “She’s an amazing kid and we’re lucky to have her as our sister. You know, we have our disagreements and she spent a good few months hating me-“

“-who hasn’t?!” Adam shouts out.

“-but we’re a family. And Liv’s a huge, stroppy part of that. But I love her. We both do. No matter what the trouble, we couldn’t imagine it without her.”

There’s a few _awwws_ cooed around the room, mostly from Diane and Chas who share a look across the heads of the other guests and then Aaron sits up straighter and ignores the spotlight of eyes on him and lays a hand on Robert’s arm.

Robert looks down, beaming so much his cheeks hurt. “And finally…” he says, words rolling over a little laugh. For a moment he directs the words straight to Aaron, taking in every flicker of his face until they both look away, confronted by the intimacy of the moment in a room full of people who’ve never seen them like this.

“Aaron,” he says, breathing out his name. “I know we didn’t have an easy start and we’re always going to have our problems. It’s what we do. But there’s only one thing that matters to me, just one thing. It’s that I love you, _so_ much, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Well I can and it’s awful. I don’t want to live my life without you. You’re this…amazing person. You’re brave and strong and you’ve got this massive heart. I don’t know how you do it. You’re incredible. And now…”

He reaches down, lacing their fingers together and smiling at the quick way Aaron’s free hand brushes away his tears.

“Now you’re my husband. And I couldn’t be happier.” There’s cheering and applause swelling in the room, feet stamping and Adam punching Robert on the arm in good measure.

Aaron mouths _I love you_ at him and squeezes their hands together.

“And I won’t embarrass you anymore tonight. I’m done,” Robert says, returning his attention to the rest of the room. “I won’t share our secrets and talk about why we’re so good together, or get everyone to agree how good you look in that suit,” – a wolf whistle from the crowd – “But I will get everyone to raise their glasses and toast to Aaron, the best person I know and the man I’m gonna spend the rest of my life with.”

The room gathers to their feet, glasses aloft and catching glints from the fairy lights, bubbles creating a yellow glow. Aaron gives a little shrug and shakes his head at Robert as if to berate him for the teasing, for the promise kept – that he would make him cry – and then they stand, arms around each other’s middles.

“To Aaron,” Robert says.

“To Aaron,” the room replies.

 


End file.
